Archives

08th May 2011

We recently watched the HBO mini-series The Pacific. It was a fascinating and horrifying look at the American Marines who served in the Pacific theater during World War II. One of the featured Marines was a private named E. B. Sledge. Sledge’s journey from his country home in Alabama to the war-torn islands in the Pacific, and his transformation from boy to Marine were powerful stories. As we completed the series, we discovered that Sledge had written a book about his service with the Marine Corp. Eager to find out more about his story, I immediately checked out the book from our library.

Sledge’s book is a straightforward account of his beginnings as a Marine, and of the battles that he fought. Some of the movements of the troops were confusing to me, as were the references to various Marine regiments and divisions. I’m sure that readers who know more about the military wouldn’t be confused at all. But Sledge’s account isn’t just a retelling of troop movements. Rather, it’s his personal story of the sights, sounds, horrors, defeats and triumphs of war. It’s graphic at time, but matter-of-fact. As I ended the book, I was overwhelmed with admiration and respect for the thousands and thousands of troops who have served so faithfully in combat for our country.

Many of the things that Sledge experienced were documented in the mini-series. If you haven’t yet watched the mini-series, I would highly recommend reading With the Old Breed first.